Dental unit



July 20,Y 1937 A. F. PIEPER 2,087,654

DENTAL UNIT Filed Nov. 23, 1953 3 Sheets-Sheet l l Q u 75 35 I .Y n

33 -1 76 f7 IL-if 7625 5@ 33 o 'Y y /6 July 20, 1937 A F PIEPER 2,087,654

DENTAL UNI T Filed Nov. 25, 1933 3 Sheets-SheetI 3 Patented July 20, i937 Unirse stares PATENT TFEQE 5 Claims.

This invention relates to dental apparatus, and contemplates a new and improved form of dental unit to be placed adjacent a patients chair and having various electrical, compressed air, water and gas appliances that are utilized by a dentist during operations.

In units of this type, it is customary to provide, in one structure, a dental engine, a fountain cuspidor, a bracket table, spray bottle warmers and various other appliances, such as mouth instruments, operated by air and electric current, and the unit also embodies a switchboard and regulating means whereby the electrically operated instruments may be connected in circuit, disconnected, or otherwise suitably controlled.

The object of the instant invention is to facilitate the use of certain of the instruments, particularly to dispose them within handy reach of the dentist at all times during operations, and I have provided an improved structure, with related mechanical details whereby this may be brought about.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of the dental unit, partially broken away and in section;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view of the dental unit, on a somewhat larger scale, taken substantially on the plane of the line 2 2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an enlarged elevational view of the front end of the instrument supporting means,

the instruments having been omitted therefrom;

Figure 4 is a longitudinal sectional view through the forward end of the instrument supporting means, taken substantially on the plane of the line 4 4 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a sectional view similar to Figure 4, but illustrating the instruments in place and in retracted or housed position; and

Figure 6 is a horizontal cross sectional view, taken substantially on the plane of the line 6 6 of Figure 2, illustrating the pivotal mounting of the head upon the pedestal, as will be described.

The main supporting element of the dental unit is a hollow pedestal l mounted upon a base 8, the latter being adapted to rest upon and be secured to the floor. On one side of the pedestal l (Figure 1) a boss 9 is provided for suitably receiving and supporting the arm lll of a fountain cuspidor l2. The opposite side of the pedestal 'l is provided with an outwardly and upwardly extending arm I3 which carries the horizontally swinging arms lli and l5 that support the bracket table I. In addition, the arm i3 carries a rotatable vertical armi il upon which the dental engine I8 is mounted.

As best illustratedin Figure 2, an upwardly and forwardly curved instrument arm i9 is mounted, to swing on a vertical axis upon the upper end of the pedestal l, this arm forming a continuation of the contour of the upper end of the pedestal, as is best illustrated in Figures 1 and 2.

The arm l@ is mounted upon the pedestal l, for movement relative thereto, in the following manner:-

The arm is of hollow construction terminating at its lower end in a circular skirt 2t. The latter is provided with a base 22 in the form) of a horizontally disposed central web which extends between opposite portions of the skirt, thereby leaving diametrically opposite semi-circular openings 23 in the base for a purpose to be explained presently. A vertically disposed stub shaft 24 projects downwardly from the base 22 and nts vfor axial rotation in a bearing 25 formed integrally with the walls of pedestal l', and axially of the latter, by means of connecting webs 2t, as shown in Figure 6. The whole weight of the instrument arm i9 and its associate parts is supported upon the upper face 2l of the bearing 25, by means of the shoulder 23 of the base 22. 'Ihus the stub shaft 2i and bearing 25 function to permit swinging of the instrument arm relative to the pedestal, on the vertical axis, and the upper face 2l of the bearing and the shoulder 28 of the base 22 cooperate to dispose the skirt E@ in a position where it will substantially contact the upper peripheral edge 29 of the pedestal, the edge 29 being or" the same circular contour as the skirt 2t.

. The several mouth instruments 33 are associated with guide means Bis' carried within the outer forward end 35 of the instrument arm i9. The guide means comprises a crosshead 3S slidably mounted upon spaced rods 3l, the latter being suitably secured Within the instrument arm at 38 and 39 (Figures 3 and 4). The crosshead 36 is provided with iixedly connected sleeves 4G having ared ends, the sleeves being adapted to receive and hold the different instruments 33 when they are not in use, while instrument cables 33a, such as conductor cords and tubes, leading from the instruments, trail substantially horizontally through the sleeves 4t, arm lg, and into a common sleeve l2 which houses the conductor cords and tubes and leads them through one of the openings 23, in the base portion of the head, into the pedestal.

As the conductor cords and tubes of the several instruments pass downwardly out of the instrument arm they enter the pedestal l through one of the semi-circularly formed openings d3, in the top of the pedestal, and pass down and .around the weighted pulleys 44 which reverse` the direction of the conductor cords and tubes, the ends of the latter then being xedly connected to various points within rthe pedestal such as electric terminals, or air terminals, as the case may be. The weighted pulleys 44 are guided vertically within the pedestal upon rods t5 secured to the pedestal at their upper ends by means of a bracket 46 and at their lower ends by means of a plate 41. With this construction, the instruments 33, when not in use, are at all times urged into the sleeves 40 of the cross-head 35 by means of the weighted pulleys 44, but are, at the same time, capable of being withdrawn when they are needed. The openings 23 in the head and the openings 43 in the pedestal register and leave plenty of play so that the conductor cords and tubes will not hinder the swinging of the arm.

Referring now to- Figures 2 and 5, it is to be noted that the instruments 33 are capable, be-

cause of the guide means 3d, of occupying twoY positions relative to the end 35 of the instrument arm I9, i. e., the instruments 33 may be disposed and maintained outwardly of the end 35 of the instrument head, so as to .be readily available for use by the operator, in the manner shown in Figure 2, or the instruments and their supporting means may be bodily displaced to bring the instruments within the housing when not in use, as illustrated in Figure 5.

This is accomplished by pivotally securing links 50 to the opposite sides of the crosshead 36 as at l. At one end the links are angularly eX- tended beyond their respective pivotal points 5l to form dogs 52 for cooperating with catch lugs 53 on the inside of the instrument arm i9, while the other ends of the links are connected at 5d to a cover 55 which has the finger button 56. In order to displace the instrument assembly from the position it occupies in Figure 2 to the housed position illustrated in Figure 5, the operator grasps the button 55 and moves it downwardly until the dogs. 52 clear the catch lugs 53. He may then move the assembly all the way in, but it will be clear that the weighted pulleys ed will urge the crosshead inwardly and the operator therefore need only release the dogs from the catch lugs and nally guide the cover 55 into the end opening 5l in the end 35 of the instrument arm. In order that the door 55 will be halted exactly when it reaches a position within the opening 5l, the crosshead 33 is provided with a projecting boss 5S adapted to strike a cushion piece 59 disposed adjacent the lug 63 that sup-ports the ends 39 of the rods 31.

In reversing the operation, theoperator takes hold of the button 56 and pulls the crosshead out until it strikes the cushion piece 62 adjacent the boss 63 on theV end wall 611 of the instrument head,

at which point the dogs are again seated against the lugs 53.

In addition to having the instruments 33 nn-Y ported upon the swinging arm i9, as above described, the water syringe 35 is` carried thereby within a. guide tube 35 suitably mounted as illustrated in Figure 2. rIhe tube 55 has its upper end Gl secured within and protrudingV through an opening in the wall ill of the instrument arm, the tube being ilared at this point to receive the syringe, while the lower end @3 of the tube, suitably fixed in the arm, communicates with an opening 59 provided in the lower rear end thereof. The syringe hose l? leads from the syringe 65 through the tube 65 to the water heater 'll (Figure l).

A pair of spray bottles l5 are supported at 'i6 on the opposite sides of the end 35 of the instrument arm. A

The electric regulator Bil, low voltage transformer 8l, tooth tester transformer 32, and the connection block 83 are all mounted within the base end of the instrument arm i9 and move with the latter as it swings.

I claim:-

1. In combination, in a dental unit, a pedestal, an upwardly and outwardly curved instrument supporting arm mounted on the top of said pedestal to swing relative on the axis thereof, a water syringe, a water heater fixedly secured to said pedestal, a water hose connecting said syringey with said heater, and means carried by said arm for supporting said syringe and the adjacent end of the hose comprising a tube disposed within the arm, said tube having one end secured to and protruding through the outer free end of said arm and adapted for receiving and holding said syringe externally of the head and having its other end secured within and projecting downwardly through said arm, the lower end of said arm having a portion oiset outward 'from the upper end of said pedestal, adjacent the lower end of said tube, providing an opening accommodating said hose.

2. In a dental unit, a pedestal, a bracket table mounted thereon, an arm mounted on the upper end of said pedestal for turning movement concentrically therewith, said arm being curved lengthwise upward and outward of said pedestal, the outer end of said arm being a substantial distance above said bracket table, dental instruments removably carried by said arm at said outerv end thereof, and retrievable conductor cords connecting said dental instruments with apparatus within'the structure'. Y

3. In a dental unit, a pedestal, a bracket table mounted thereon, an arm mounted on the upper end of the pedestal for turning movement on the axis thereof, said arm being curved upward and outward of the pedestal with its outer end a substantial distance above said bracket table, electrical apparatus mounted within said structure, dental instruments carried by and insertible into and removable from said outer end of said arm, and retrievable electric cords connected to the respective instruments and passing downward through said arm and secured to said electrical apparatus.

4. In a dental unit, a stationary hollow pedestal housing portion, a hollow arm housing portion mounted on the top of said pedestal housing portion as a continuation thereof, said arm housing portion extending upwardly and laterally from said pedestal housing portion and being capable 5. In a dental unit, a pedestal, abracket table mounted thereon, a hollow arm mounted on and extending upwardly and forwardly of said pedestal, the outer end of said arm being a substantial distance above said bracket table, dental insoY struments removably carried by said arm at said outer end, and retrievable conductor cordsifastened to said instruments, said instruments and cordsl being movable substantially longitudinally and horizontally out of and into said hollow arm at said outer end and said cords connecting said dental instruments with apparatus within the' structure.

ALPHONSE F. PIPER. f

l of swinging on a vertical axis through said 

